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November 05, 2012

Boredom creation

ETHICAL STANDARDS POLICY FOR EMPLOYEES IN NO.10 DOWNING STREET

There has a long established parliamentary tradition of making Early Day Motiions boring. Below are the submitted originals and the less interesting printed versions after they have been through the filter that extracts vital ingredients.

Original

That this House believes that a further egregious example of political die-back that presages extinction is the collapse of ethical standards in 10 Downing Street where a top aide recently passed unheeded through the revolving door to join the loan shark company Wonga that wascensured by the Office of Fair Trading for “aggressive and misleading” debt collection practices following the revelation by the Daily Telegraph that Conservative ministers agreed to talk to Wonga at the Tory party conference in exchange for payments of £1,250 for each meeting: calls on the Coalition to consider introducing an ethical policy.

Tabled

That this House believes that evidence of the collapse of ethical standards in No.10 Downing Street is presented by the recent move by a senior aide to join the pay day loan company Wonga, which was censured by the Office of Fair Trading for aggressive and misleading debt collection practices, which follows the statement by the Daily Telegraph that Conservative Ministers agreed to talk to Wonga at the Conservative Party conference in exchange for payments to the Conservative Party of 1,250 for each meeting; and calls on the Government to consider introducing an ethical standards policy.

Original

Prince Charles’ letters to ministers

That this house is surprised that the Attorney General believes that the status of Prince Charles as heir to the throne is so fragile that his views must be concealed from the public; believes that lobbying transparency should be applied universally.

Tabled

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE CHARLES' LETTERS TO MINISTERS

That this House is surprised that the Attorney General believes that the status of His Royal Highness Prince Charles as heir to the throne would be damaged if his views were not concealed from the public; believes that this shows that his reputation is fragile; and further believes that lobbying transparency should be applied universally.